Tag: police

Chika “not a bad person” says DPRS Director Rasheed, following parole announcement

The infamous Ibrahim ‘Chika’ Nafiz has been released from prison under parole.

Nafiz was sentenced to five years imprisonment after he was found guilty of possessing an illegal sword in July 2008.

Director General of the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Service (DPRS) Mohamed Rasheed confirmed to Minivan News that Chika was released yesterday afternoon.

”He is released under the same obligations as others who are released on parole,” said Rasheed. ”There are people who have to report to DPRS weekly, and have to give urine samples weekly.”

Rasheed said he regretted that the media was reporting Chika “as a bad person.”

”He is a good person, he was very good during his time in prison,” Rasheed said. ”And nobody should be worrying about it, because it was an opportunity for him to be good. If everyone says he is a bad person he might just not be able to use this opportunity, so just give him a chance.”

”He is not a threat to the society,” he added.

Rasheed referred to the life of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) and Abu Sufiyan.

”Abu Sufiyan was a great enemy of the Muslims before he became a Muslim, but later he was one of the heroes and brought victory to the Muslims,” he said.

He added that Nafiz was released because he was eligible for the parole.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said he did not wish to comment on the issue.

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PG will take DRP council member for Villi-Maafannu to court

The Prosecutor General will take successful Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) candidate for Villi-Maafannu, Ahmed ‘Fly’ Hameed, to court for allegedly beating a police officer.

Haveeru reports that Hameed was being prosecuted for allegedly obstructing police attempts to control a crowd of 11,000 at Dr Zakir Naik’s sermon in May 2010, which became hostile after Ahmed Nazim questioned Naik over the penalty for apostasy.

Police confirmed a case was sent to the PG’s office on 22 August, 2010.

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Election atmosphere “so far peaceful”, say police

The Maldives Police Service has said that it has so far received no reports of major violence during the country’s first local council elections taking place today, despite fears about potential clashes between rival supporters from authorities and several NGOs.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that despite “little misunderstandings” at some island-based polling stations, there had been no major clashes reported during the last few days.

“There have not been much [elections] violence so far today, yesterday or the day before that,” he said. “We are trying to work with the Elections Commission (EC) in regards to any problems, though there hasn’t been much confrontation.”

The claims were made as one local NGO, the Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN), reported that it has received “a concerning number” of reports of election-related violence in the three weeks running up to today’s local council elections, as it aims to compile a report on the role violence has played during campaigning.

During polling time itself, Shiyam said that certain “misunderstandings” had been reported to have occurred at some ballot boxes, where confusion had arose over whether one constituent was able to correctly see how he would be casting his vote.

“As someone was casing their vote, allegations were made that the constituent in question was blind, while others denied there was a problem,” he said.

As part of a UN Development Programme (UNDP) funded initiative aimed to try and systematically record instances of violence relating around the elections – both before and during polling –the MDN has said that it hopes to put forward measures to mitigate major violence and disturbances in future elections.

MDN Executive Director Ahmed Irfan told Minivan News that it would not be revealing specific instances of violence recorded by the report concerning the involvement of specific parties or individuals until after the local council elections had taken place.

Irfan claimed that the report would use accounts from both witnesses and the authorities to try and produce an in-depth account of violence surrounding the council elections.

“We’re doing a number of things such as sending people around the islands to get second hand accounts of the violence, while also consulting with police and the Elections Commission,” he said.

Irfan added that he believed that political groups had so far been “entirely open” in discussing the role of violence during the current campaign.

“We feel the [report] process has been entirely open and have already met with some parties for feedback,” he said.

Irfan claimed that the group will be going back to parties to see if there are any additional cases of election-time violence once voting has concluded.

“It is MDN’s most fervent hope that the elections on February 5, 2011 will be held in a peaceful, free and fair manner in which everyone can exercise their constitutional right to vote, free from fear and intimidation,” the MDN stated. “This can only be achieved with the sincere support and cooperation of all those involved.”

Reiterating similar concerns about election violence, the police last week called on the country’s politicians to curb rhetoric that could stir up violence, after allegations that a group with allegiances to the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has attacked Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MPs on the island of Kaandehdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

The MDP denied that any of its members were involved in the confrontations.

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Police seize Rf184,000 drug haul during two day crackdown

The Maldives Police Service has announced the seizure of illegal drugs with a suspected value of Rf184,000 (US$14,431) during a two day period late last month.

The drugs were found during three separate cases recorded by authorities between 30 January and 31 January.

Among these cases, police said they arrested a person at GMR Male’ International Airport’s domestic terminal on 31 January who was said to be carrying 20 bullet sized packets containing illegal narcotics as well as four small packets of cannabis.

According to the police, the airport officers on duty at the time said they has discovered the drugs during a search of the suspect.

The Police claimed that the street value of the illegal drugs found on the individual would fetch up to Rf100,000 (US$7,843).

The second case was related to a report received by police intelligence that led to a search of Mahchangolhi Kulhafilaage for drugs and the discovery of eight bullet-sized packets of suspected illegal drugs.

The Police Service said that upon searching garments in the house, 53 packets of suspected illegal drugs were discovered stored inside the pocket of two shirts as well as another two bullet sized packs.

Inside short pockets in the house, police said they additionally found packets containing suspected illegal drugs.

Police officers who searched the house also reported finding two 500ml life water bottles filled with alcohol and seven other packets containing illegal drugs on an individual.

The Police Service said that two men were arrested in connection to the case, which resulted in drugs with a value of Rf50,000 (US$3,921) being found.

In another case reported over the two day period, police intelligence said they had acted over reports that a person aboard a boat travelling to Velidhoo in Noonu Atoll was carrying drugs and conducted a special operation in collaboration with the Velidhoo police station.

Police said the suspect had thrown away a bag when he saw the police, but it was later retrieved and checked in his presence.

Seven plastic packets of narcotics, a can of cannabis and other materials linked to drug use were found inside it.

Police said the street value of the drugs found in the third case would be approximately Rf34,000 (US$2,666)

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Police arrest gang members in guest house sweep

Police have arrested several suspected gang members during a sweep of 14 guest houses.

Haveeru reported Chief Inspector Hamdoon Rasheed as saying that police had gathered evidence in gang violence cases during the operation over the last 2-3 weeks.

“After gang violence activities, members of the gangs do not stay at the same place. Even though they are registered in Male they are moving to rented rooms,” he told the press.

He also appealed to local landlords and guest house owners to be aware of the problem when renting rooms.

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Charges against Sheikh Fareed “political matter, not a religious issue”

The President of the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) Ibrahim Fauzy has called on the authorities to withdraw charges against Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed Ahmed, after he appeared in the Criminal Court charged for violating the former Religious Unity Act.

The Court alleged that Sheikh Fareed had preached on some islands without permission from the government authorities in 2007.

Sheikh Fareed was summoned to the Criminal Court today and was given the chance to respond to the charges.

”The former Religious Unity Act is contradictory to the new constitution, it is not acceptable to charge Sheikh Fareed over this issue,” said Fauzy. ”It is all related to politics. The former government confiscated his permission to preach, and later he only spoke at political rallies when he was in the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).”

Sheikh Fareed was arrested alongside many MDP delegates while he was aboard a boat traveling from Thinadhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll in the year 2007, said Fauzy.

”Perhaps he sometimes gave advice to people at political rallies, but that cannot be considered preaching,” he said. ”It is a political matter, not a religious issue.”

Sheikh Fareed told Minivan News today that he was not sure about the nature of the charges against him.

”They are saying that I preached without the permission of authorities,” said Sheikh Fareed. ”I have requested the Criminal Court provide me details of the case.”

Sheikh Fareed said that he could only be certain of the case when he received the documents from the court.

On January 25, 2007, local newspaper ‘Miadhu’ reported that Sheikh Fareed was arrested moments after he walked out of ‘Ibrahimi Mosque’ after concluding Isha preayers.

Miadhu then reported that he was arrested for allegedly taking part in a demonstration that took place in Male.

Later on March 17, 2007, Miadhu reported that he was released from house arrest, kept in Maafushi jail for a few days, and then returned to house arrest.

Furthermore, Sheikh Fareed was arrested several times during the former regime for his participation in anti-governmental protests.

According to the local media, he was also once charged with terrorism but was released after the court found him innocent.

In 2007 he was the former vice president of MDP religious council but resigned after alleging that the party was against Islam.

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17 year-old claims he was beaten by 22 police officers behind stadium

Police are investigating reports of a person being beaten in police custody, after a 17 year-old boy told Minivan News he was arbitrarily arrested on Boduthakurufaanu Magu on Saturday night before being driven in a police vehicle to a dark spot near Male’s artificial beach where he was violently beaten by officers with batons.

The 17 year-old told Minivan News that he had been on the phone in front of a police officer’s house earlier that day, before the officer came out of the building and confronted him.

“I did not answer him and asked him to wait, as I was on the phone,” he said. “Later that night, while I was on Boduthakurufaanu Magu near the ‘Ekuveni Stadium’ in Galolhu, I saw police officers searching for me with a picture of me in their hands.”

As soon as he neared the stadium, all the police officers jumped on him and locked him inside police vehicle, he claimed.

”They said I had tried to attack a police officer by waiting near his house, and said I was not to threaten the police. They took me near artificial beach,” he said.

”It was around midnight when we reached the beach. All of the officers got out of the police bus and took me to a dark area near ”Andhiri Stage” [literally ‘Dark Stage’- a stage formally used to perform music shows but now unused].

The 17 year-old said the squad, consisting of “around 22″ police officers then started beating him simultaneously with their batons.

”They kept saying that it was what someone would get for trying to attack police,” he explained. ”They kept beating me until they received an urgent call to attend a fight that was occurring near Bandeyrikoshi, so they took me with them to the crime scene in the police bus.”

He said that one of the groups involved in the fighting had fled before the police arrived, but that the other group attacked police while he was kept inside the vehicle.

”They arrested some of the boys and drove to drop them off to police custodial,” he said. ”They were planning to drop them off and take me back to the artificial beach to beat me again.”

However, when the bus reached police custodial, the 17 year-old said he jumped out of the bus and ran inside the building, where he begged for help from a Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) officer who was on duty at the time.

”He told me to stay inside the interview room, then went outside and shouted at the police officers who had attacked me and told them that they couldn’t touch me again,” he said.

The boy said he went to meet President Mohamed Nasheed last night during the launch of a campaign office for an MDP candidate ahead of the local council elections, and told him what had happened to him.

”He was shocked to hear what the police officers told me inside the vehicle – they said they would make the people turn  against ‘Anni’ (the President’s nickname) and would make citizens run after him with swords,” the boy alleged.

The boy said he had attended hospital for treatment and an X-ray of his injuries, where doctors discovered his spine had suffered internal injuries.

Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that police had received reports of a person who was tortured while in police custody, and were now investigating the incident.

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Police arrest man for sexually abusing stepdaughter

Police have arrested a man from Dharavandhoo in Baa Atoll for allegedly sexually abusing a minor.

Haveeru reported that the victim was the man’s stepdaughter, and that a 38 year-old man from the island had been arrested in a case relating to sexual abuse.

Last week three men were arrested on Hulhumeedhoo in Addu Atoll for sexual abuse of a minor. One of those arrested was also a minor, Haveeru reported.

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Escaped prisoner arrested with illegal drugs

Police have arrested an escaped prisoner with illegal drugs in Male’.

Police reported that they arrested the man while he was sitting near Dharubaaruge, in possession of 24 packets of suspected narcotics.

The first time police attempted to arrest the man at his home, he escaped through a ventilation duct, police said.

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